


Starmora Week 2018

by RocketRaccoon15



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Cartoon), Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Adorable Peter, Beaches, Coping, Day At The Beach, Epiphany, F/M, First Confession, First Dates, First Steps, Footloose - Freeform, Future, Gamora (Marvel) Lives, Grease - Freeform, Heart-to-Heart, I Love You, Jovi Quill Is Adorable, Karaoke, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Movie Night, Peter Holds His Daughter For The First Time, Peter is dramatic, Pop Culture, Post-Avengers 4, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Sacrifice, Slow Dancing, Stargazing, Starmora Week 2018, Storytelling, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-05 06:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocketRaccoon15/pseuds/RocketRaccoon15
Summary: A series of one-shots created exclusively for Starmora Week 2018.





	1. In The Summertime (When The Weather Is Hot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's exhausting when you're the 'parents' of overgrown children. That's why Peter and Gamora decide to take a little R&R. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 1: Summer Trip)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title inspired by the song, "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry!

_The beach_. Sounds of palm tree leaves brushing together from the light breeze and the soft roar of waves fill the air. It's peaceful and they're the only ones there...well, as in Gamora and Peter. The others left to restock the ship. Having enough of the ruckus caused by Drax and Rocket, Peter suggested that he and Gamora needed some time away. So, here they were: the 'parents' of their dysfunctional family, walking hand-in-hand through the white, fine-grained sand. They walk to shore and set their belongings down. Gamora strips off a loose, white romper, revealing a black, off the shoulder, ruffled bikini. By the time she neatly folds up her romper and places it on top of her towel, Peter has already torn off his shirt and beaten her to the water.

A soft smile creeps upon Gamora's lips as she watches Peter pop out of the water with her arms across her chest.

As Peter turns around, his eyes widen. Gamora was absolutely gorgeous in her suit and intricately braided hair. "Woah."

The emerald color of the woman's complexion darkens as she shifts her gaze somewhere else. She bites her bottom lip in an attempt to prevent her small smile from growing.

"You gonna come in or-?" Peter asks after a few minutes in silence, the only sound emerging from the waves.

Gamora quickly scans her surroundings, taking in the peacefulness of everything. There's no litter. No people. It's only the two of them. Unlike most beaches, this one isn't polluted. It's very preserved and seems like the inhabitants of the planet are very dedicated to protecting their environment. It's  _peaceful_.

The ex-assassin takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, breathing in the scent of the ocean water. "Go on without me!" She finally calls back, opening her eyes. "I'm gonna stay here!" With that, she grabs her towel from underneath her romper and lays it out on the sand. She hears Peter swimming back to shore.

"Well, if you're gonna stay here, might as well turn on some tunes." He suggests, walking towards his go-to grey, short-sleeved shirt and pulling out his Zune from underneath, along with one of the portable speakers Rocket had built. As Gamora turns his back to him once again, Peter searches for a song he'd discovered not to long ago. An allegro instrumental fades in from the speaker.

For some odd reason, Gamora isn't sitting down on the towel she'd laid out for herself. Instead, she's gazing off into the ocean with what appeared to be curiosity in her eyes. Maybe, she never swam for fun while under Thanos' control. Maybe, she doesn't know what it's like to swim without fearing for your life. That's when Peter hatches an idea.

Without a word, Peter creeps up behind Gamora, who's still lost in thought, and scoops her up into his arms. "PETER!" Gamora tries to fight off the urge to giggle as Peter continues to run to the end of the shallow-end of the ocean before propelling them into the deep-end.

Peter lets her go, allowing her to swim back to the surface. He follows suit, earning a glare from the woman. "What?" The ex-Ravanger is prepared for a smack upside the head, or another lecture. What he isn't prepared for is a large splash of water to be hurled at his face. He blinks in surprise, noticing Gamora's slight chuckle. "Oh, it's on."

 _'_ _And every day that you want to waste, that you want to waste, you can_

_And every day that you want to wake up, and you want to wake, you can_

_And every day that you want to change, that you want to change, yeah_

_I'll help you see it through 'cause I just really want to be with you'_

After a few hours of splashing wars, Peter and Gamora finally decide to head back to shore. As they dry off, they watch the sunset together. They talk for what could've been hours. The next thing they know, the sun has finally set and the stars are lighting up the night sky.

In the moment, all Peter can think about is how the girl he's fallen in love with is seated right next to him, sharing his body heat, with a smile that is too big to hide. It isn't until he feels an added weight on his shoulder that he notices Gamora had finished putting her romper back on. He wraps an arm around her as she nuzzles further into him. After planting a lingering kiss to the top of her head, Peter begins to rub his hand up and down her arm.

"Peter?" Her voice is so quiet, he barely hears her.

"Yeah?" The man turns his head towards hers, noticing the way her body is slightly shivering as he shrugs off his jacket and drapes it loosely over her shoulders.

"Thank you for showing me this." With that, she feels her eyes getting heavy and allows herself to drift off in Peter's loving arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's like two hours early!!! I just couldn't help myself! I've had this in my drafts for almost a week now and I was so excited to post it!! Anyways! I hope y'all enjoyed it! :) Song used in this chapter is "Waste" by Foster the People.


	2. JUMP!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks after Ego, Peter and Gamora go on their first date. However, it doesn't go as Peter plans. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 2: First Date/Dancing)

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME!" Peter yells as he tosses his data-pad aside and plops down on his bed.

Well, it wasn't technically his bed anymore...it was  _theirs_. A few weeks have passed since Yondu's funeral, since their unspoken thing wasn't so unspoken anymore. Even though the team was taking things slow, still coping with the death of their fallen friend, Peter and Gamora have yet to go on their first date.

It was something Peter had been stressing about for days, now. He wanted it to be perfect, not only for him, but for Gamora as well. However, every time he came upon a new idea, an obstacle always remained in his way, whether it'd be money, space, or even time.

The Benetar is docked on a humid, tropical planet. Gamora and Peter were on ship and Groot duty, while the others went on a small mission. It isn't too bad. They left the ship late at night, after Groot is already sound asleep. Gamora is cleaning up the dinner mess that the others seemed to have snuck out of doing. It's the perfect time for Peter to find a place to surprise Gamora on their first date. Unfortuantely, it's not going very well...

Soft footsteps approach the quarters, noticing the man laying on the bed, facing the opposite direction of the door. The footsteps continue until they reach the bed and pick up the data-pad that was still opened on a certain tab.

"Peter?" Gamora's voice, even though almost inaudible, causes the man to jump out of his own skin and fly out of the bed.

As soon as he catches his breath, he dramatically places a hand over his heart. "Dammit, Gamora. You scared the shit outta me."

"I'm sorry." Her focus wasn't towards Peter, but his browsing history from the past hour. When Peter realizes what she's doing, he snatches the data-pad out of her hand and quickly turns it off. "Peter, what the hell?!"

"It's not important. You don't have to worry about it." He rubs the bridge of his nose in frustration and turns his back to her.

Gamora immediately figures out what his intentions were and raises her eyebrows sympathetically. After she notices that Peter had no intention of facing her, she climbs onto the bed and kneels behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso and digging her head into his back. It must've worked because Peter immediately turns around and sits down next to her. She intertwines their fingers together and lays her head on his shoulder as if to tell him she was listening.

An audible sigh escapes his mouth as he thumbs the back of her hand. "We haven't really had any alone time together, which means we haven't gone on a real first date. I wanted it to be special, but every place I look into is too expensive for us right now or it's booked." He feels Gamora lift her head off of his shoulder to look him in the eye.

"We're alone right now. That counts for something, right?"

"It's just not the same." Gamora tilts her head up a little to give him a quick peck on the cheek and lets go of his hand to cup his face.

"Peter, I don't want to go to some overpriced venue."

"You don't?" Peter asks in surprise.

When Gamora scoffs, Peter knows he over exceeded what she wanted. "Of course I don't. Come on, Peter, you know me better than that." He looks away as if he disappointed her until she tilts his head back to face her. "Look at me, we don't  _need_  to go out to have a good time."  _No response_. She lets out a deep sigh and closes her eyes.

Peter's eyes shift towards the fiddling of his fingers that laid in his lap as Gamora lets go of his face. He doesn't look up when she walks away, thinking maybe he offended her somehow. He doesn't even look up when he notices a familiar tune playing softly in their shared quarters:

_'_ _I get up, and nothin' gets me down_

_You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around_

_And I know, baby, just how you feel_

_You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real'_

It isn't until a green hand comes into view that he finally shifts his eyes back to hers. Her smile is wider than he'd ever seen it before. Returning the gesture, he slowly places his hand upon hers to be quickly pulled to his feet. Gamora's pulls him to the middle of their quarters. "Dance with me." When he doesn't respond, Gamora spins herself underneath his arm. It's a gesture that immediately brightens Peter's mood.

"Watch this." He says with a smirk as he grabs both of her hands and spins them both underneath their arms. A rare laugh escapes her mouth as Peter begins to jump as the chorus states. "Stand on the edge of the bed." Gamora raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Trust me." She playfully rolls her eyes and does so. Peter stands a few feet away from her and holds out his arms. "Jump!" He exclaims in unison with the music.

Rolling her eyes once again, Gamora belly flops towards Peter and he surprisingly catches her and lifts her above his head. He lets go and catches her vertically against his chest in his arms, causing her to burst out in laughter. The sound of it makes his grin widen as he spins her a bit before setting her back down.

"See I told you." She whispers, only a few inches from his face.

A new song is now playing, one they haven't heard before. Their fast paced dance winds down as they begin to slowly sway to the beat. "I take it back. We  _don't_  need to go out to have a good time." The green woman smiles softly as she lays her head against his chest.

_'_ _I'll see you in the future when we're older_

_And we are full of stories to be told._

_Cross my heart and hope to die,_

_I'll see you with your laughter lines'_

"Have I ever showed you  _Footloose_?"

* * *

"I can see why Kevin Bacon is a legend." Gamora is nuzzled into Peter's chest on their bed as they finish the movie projected on the wall in front of them. A soft smile makes it way to Peter's face as he plants a lingering kiss on top of his girlfriend's hair that smells like the usual fresh, exotic fruit scented shampoo she uses. In return, she hums in contentment and closes her eyes.

Gamora was right...best first date ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from "Jump" by Van Halen. It's also one of the songs mentioned in the story. The other is "Laughter Lines" by Bastille. I hope you enjoyed it! :)


	3. I Saw A Shooting Star (And Thought Of You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a stressful mission, Peter and Gamora take a walk. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 3: Night Confessions/Stargazing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "All of the Stars" by Ed Sheeran. Enjoy! :)

The mission doesn't go as planned. Rocket almost gets set on fire, Mantis almost gets shot, and Drax...well, Drax almost gets himself killed by taking on more criminals than he could handle. So, yeah. It was stressful.

However, stressful in his eyes is also a good thing. It usually meant going on long walks with Gamora, which is what they're doing now. The mission somehow brought them back to Berhert, which also brought back some unwanted memories from the two months prior.  _Ego. Yondu. Their fight._ That was all in the past, but a remainder of it still sent a horrible feeling to their guts. Although, they did miss how beautiful the planet looked at night.

Hand-in-hand, they walk far away from the Benatar. They take in the calming nature of the forest, in a comfortable silence. At least until Peter trips over his own two feet, mesmerized by the beautiful scenery.

"Are you okay?" Gamora asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, but it's surprisingly really comfy down here." With a grunt, he rolls himself onto his back and looks up at the stars. A yawn escapes his mouth as he shifts his eyes to Gamora, who's glaring at him with her arms crossed. "I'm too tired to get up."

The woman softens her expression and playfully rolls her eyes. She stretches out her hand to him, only to get gently pulled beside him. If it wasn't for her being as exhausted as he is, she would've hesitated more than she did. And so, they lay there in silence, gazing up at the stars. "It's beautiful."

"Just like you." Peter whispers even though they were completely alone.

A soft chuckle escapes Gamora's mouth. "God, you're such a sap."

"It's true." He states, turning his head to face her. "Where do you see us, like five years from now?"

Gamora turns to lay on her side. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about the future." She looks at him in curiosity. "What about you, Peter Quill? What plans do you have up your sleeve?"

"I mean, I guess I've always had an idea." Peter explains as he mirrors Gamora's position.

"And what's that?"

"I mean, I always saw my mom moping about Ego and...you know what came of that." Gamora nods as if prompting him to continue. "But, um, she always told me these stories about everything they did together. Of course, I never forgave him for leaving, but...this is gonna sound kinda weird...I made her a promise that I'd fall in love with someone who  _would_  come back. If that makes sense?" A green hand stretches out to rub his own.

"Of course it does, but it's not weird. Not at all." She gives him a soft, sentimental smile that makes his heart beat a little faster than usual. "What else?"

Peter clears his throat. "Well, I mean, I always watched those movies and TV shows where people fall in love, and get married...even have kids..." The last part is barely audible, but it makes Gamora's smile widen a bit.

"Is that what you want?" The ex-assassin somehow subtly moved closer to him in the time they'd been talking. They're merely inches apart and Peter can count every single one of her eyelashes. "Get married and have children?"

Heat starts to radiate in Peter's cheeks as his face gets slightly more red in the dim rays of the moons. "I guess." He rubs an awkward hand on the back of his neck.

Gamora's hand slides off Peter's hand and onto his chest, looking at him through her eyelids. "And who do you plan to do this with?" It's rare to see Gamora this playful and noticing that she isn't scared of his answer, he decides to play back.

"Well, I mean, there's this girl that totally kicked my ass a few months ago. She's green and she's such a badass with her sword."

"And?" She's leaning into him.

"She's the most beautiful and caring woman I've ever met."

"And?"

His heart is beating out of his chest at this point. "No matter how much shit gets thrown her way, she still has a heart of gold."

"And?"

There's a slight pause as Peter thinks of what to say next. It's hard to think when you have the most dangerous, yet sexiest, woman in the galaxy, pressed up against your chest, grazing your lips with her own. "And I want to live the rest of my life with her by my side, like she is right now."

"God, you're such a sap." With that, she smashes her lips against his. Gamora rolls them both over onto his back, straddling him between his hips and continuing to passionately kiss him. "I...love you." She whispers in between kisses. It's the first time she says it, and if it wasn't for them being out in the open, it might've led somewhere else...

As soon as they break apart for air, they pull back enough to where their foreheads are still touching. Gamora pushes herself off of him enough to where she could grab his hand. She sets their intertwined hands on his chest and lays on top of them.

Peter lifts up his free hand and begins to run his fingers through her hair. After a moment of silence, she finally speaks, "If you do have children with her, what would you name them?"

"If it's a girl, probably Jovi, as in Bon Jovi, of course. If it's a boy, I don't know. Probably, Lennon, as in-"

"John Lennon." Gamora chuckles.

"What about you?"

"I don't know. I love your ideas though."

"Of course, you do." He receives a playful smack against his chest. "Yup, I deserved that."

"I don't want to go back. I'm comfortable here." The woman nuzzles further into his chest and lets out a deep sigh. Eventually, she dozes off and falls asleep on his chest and he's fine with it.

"I love you, too."


	4. You're The One That I Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the war, Peter finds something that he thinks will lighten the mood. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 4: Pop Culture)

Thanos is officially pronounced dead. The universe is finally safe from his screwed up plans of saving it. However, the Avengers and Guardians don't walk out unscathed. They're all shaken up, especially the handful who were involved in the  _dusting._ Especially the woman who was thrown off the cliff in exchange for the soul stone and the man who was heartbroken at the fact that he was almost forced to kill her.

So, yeah. They were pretty shaken up. However, that doesn't prevent Peter from trying to lighten the mood... _her_  mood.

They're still on Earth, but only because their ship is being repaired. Peter takes advantage of this time, driving to a nearby general store with a sign that says  _Walmart_  in blue lettering. Tony lets him borrow one of his cars and gives him a credit card to buy anything he needs to stock his ship. Of course, Peter being Peter, he has to buy some things he didn't necessarily  _need_.

This leads to him wandering around the store, picking up junk food, clothes, and other things that he didn't need. He eventually finds himself in the toy aisle and can't help, but look at how the toys have changed since he was a kid. There was still creepy dolls, and Barbie definitely got a new look. There are also action figures of the Avengers, and games that he used to play with his mother and grandfather all the time.

That's when he finds himself staring at something he always wanted as a kid - a karaoke machine. It's in a black box labeled  _iSing_. He finds a clearance tag on the box, showing the price of the product to be seventy dollars. A small smirk forms upon his lips as he carefully places it in the cart and speed-walks back to the aisle he passed that had various racks with CDs. He looks for what seems like hours until he finds one that puts a large smile on a face.

* * *

"Peter, what's this all about?" Gamora asks, rolling her eyes as Peter pulls her into the living area of the hotel Tony rented out for them.

"Just trust me!" He replies with a lopsided grin. An exasperated sigh escapes Gamora's mouth as she is pulled into the middle of the room. "Close your eyes."

She does as she's told as he places a oddly-shaped object in her hand. When she hears the instrumental to her favorite  _Grease_  song, a large smile finds its way to her lips. She opens her eyes to Peter holding an identical object as he begins to sing John Travolta's part into it. Gamora mimics him as it becomes her turn to sing.

Turns out that karaoke machine was much more needed than Peter originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "You're the One that I Want" from Grease. It's also the song mentioned in this story! Sorry this one was so short! The next one will be longer! I hope you enjoyed it!! :)


	5. I'm The Satellite (You're The Sky)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's almost a year after the war, and she's finally born. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 5: Sacrifice/Epiphany)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title comes from "Cecilia and The Satellite" by Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. Enjoy! :)

Tears begin to form in his eyes as he and Gamora laugh in relief, hearing her cry for the first time. As soon as they clean her up, they wrap her in a white hospital blanket and gently place her in her mother's arms. The infant immediately stops crying and gazes into the soft, brown irises of her mother's eyes.

Gamora lets out a watery chuckle. "Hi, sweetie." The back of her finger lightly brushes the child's soft skin. "She's beautiful, Peter."

"And tiny." The ex-Ravanger plants a soft kiss to the top of his wife's head. "We make some pretty cute babies, don't we?" He receives a content hum in return. Peter extends a hand to softly caress the newborn's head. "She's got your eyes."

"Would you like to hold her?" Gamora whispers, tilting her head to face Peter. The man gives her a soft smile and carefully lifts the petite infant out of Gamora's arms. "Be careful--her head."

Peter nods, taking a closer look at his daughter as the tears, once flooding his eyes, begin to trail down his cheek. Gamora is right--she's absolutely  _gorgeous_. A perfect combination of the two of them. She has her mother's dark hair, button nose, and chocolate eyes. As for Peter, she inherits the shape of his face, his pale skin, and his curls.

"Hey, Jovi. I'm-I'm your daddy." He shares another watery chuckle with Gamora and turns the infant to face her. "You see the beautiful, green woman over there? She's your mommy."

He can't believe they're at this point in their lives. It was hardly a year ago, he thought they were both dead and that Thanos had won. Now, they're married and have a daughter--things they've been planning to do for years. Jovi begins to fuss and Peter's eye get wide, afraid that he did something wrong.

"Oh, shit. What'd I do?" He panics, looking at Gamora for reassurance.

"You didn't do anything, Peter. She's just a baby. They fuss for no reason." Her voice is calm, almost as if she's had experience. "Remember when Groot was that age?"  _There it is._  "Just gently rock her. Tell her a story."

Nodding his head, Peter does as he's told. The tension that he built up, fades when she stops crying. "Your mommy--she's a hero, ya know?" His eyes flicker up to Gamora, who is softly smiling at the scene. "There was this bad man, this  _Thanos_. Mommy pretty much sacrificed herself to save the universe from him. He's all gone now and he's not gonna lay a hand on you...I promise."

"Tell her the story of her name."

"Good one!" Gamora lets out a soft chuckle. "You know, we've been planning this moment for years. One night, we were looking up at the stars and we started talking about our future together." Peter shifts his eyes towards her again, gaining an encouraging smile in return. "We-we named you after one of your mother's favorite artists, Bon Jovi." A small coo escapes Jovi's mouth.

As soon as Peter finishes his sentence, the rest of the Guardians enter the hospital room. "Meet the rest of your family, little Star-Princess." For the first time in his life, Peter can finally say he experienced a miracle within a hospital.


	6. Met An Angel In Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the war, Peter and Gamora finally begin to cross things off their bucket list. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 6: Wedding)

_Beautiful_. The only word he can describe her. Their wedding takes place at Avengers HQ in upstate New York. The scenery surrounding the building is absolutely perfect and it's the least Tony can do for all their help in battle.

So, here they are. Gamora looks lovely in her white asymmetrical dress. The front lays mid-thigh, while the small train lowers to the ground. It's an off-the-shoulder dress, the lacy, beaded straps softly enclosing her biceps. The top has an intricately laced pattern, whereas the bottom is made of thick chiffon. As for her hair--it lays delicately over her left shoulder in ringlets, pinned up slightly with a stick-like floral hairpiece. Her nerves, despite how hard she tries to hide them, show in the shakiness of the purple and off-white orchid bouquet in her hands. Being the center of attention in something so personal, surrounded by people she hardly knows isn't her forte.

Peter makes up for it, though. She doesn't criticize him for not dressing up as formally as her. He could be shirtless, in sweatpants, and she can't find it in herself to be pissed at him. However, he does settle in his usual go-to outfit, with the exception of slightly more formal pants. His hair, as usual, doesn't cooperate and lays in every direction, but she can't be more happier to see him.

She continues to make her way down the aisle filled with rows of white wooden chairs, path-offed with a trail of orchid petals and a hanging pot of orchids that match her own on each corner. Directly behind her, on a small table, is a four tier cake, decorated to look like a galaxy with a topper that says  _'To The Moon And Back'_  in cursive.

Groot, holding a white pillow that the rings comfortably sat on, finally makes it to the arch. He joins Peter and Tony as Mantis, wearing her designated plum-colored strapless, knee-high dress, walks down the aisle with Rocket in her arms, despite his constant complaining. Finally, she reaches the arch, Nebula linked in one arm, while Drax linked in the other, in his own maroon tux pants. (As usual he doesn't wear a shirt, deeming it's especially necessary since it  _is_  his friends' wedding! They didn't mind, however. It would've been more distracting to  _them_ , at least, if he had worn a shirt.)

The spark in his eyes becomes more evident as she finally reaches the end. Tony clears his throat as the music ends and the guests take their seats. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Quill and Gamora in holy matrimony, yadah-yadah-yadah-" A moment of uncomfortable silence passes through the crowd of confused faces. "Listen folks, I'm not a certified priest, so let's just begin with the vows. Ladies first."

"Peter, I've lived most of my life surrounded by people I despised the most, but now, you've given me a family. You've helped me reconcile with my sister.  _You've_  taught me what love,  _true_  love is. No matter how many times you can get on my nerves, I could never have asked for a more caring and passionate person to stand by my side. I love you more than anything and nothing will change that." She gives him a watery smile as he gives her a lopsided grin in return.

Once he realizes she's finished her vows, it suddenly becomes steaming hot. He's sweating up a storm and he lets out a breath he doesn't even realize he's holding. "Okay, um-" He clears his throat and looks down at their conjoined hands. Gamora lets go of one of his to tilt his chin up and mouths at him that everything's alright now. He nods in return and clears his throat one last time. "So, this is probably the sappiest thing you'll ever hear from me, but-" A silent chuckle sweeps through those who are watching. "Believe it or not, I actually fell in love. I fell in love with you, Gamora. And ever since the first time you kicked my ass, I knew you were the one. Despite how much has been thrown your way, you still have your heart of gold. You care about everyone, no matter how much you want to deny it. You've made me a better man, Gamora and I love you for that-for everything you are." A tear falls from Gamora's eye and Peter quickly wipes it away, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Rings, Mr. Tree?"

"I am Groot." The teenage tree gives him the rings.

"I know, I just thought Mr. Tree was more suitable in this occasion." The rings have almost the identical design of a twisted vine. One is slightly bigger than the other, and the smaller one is titanium, while the other is the usual gold. He gives Peter's to Gamora and vise-versa. "Gamora, as you place the ring on Peter's finger, please repeat after me-"

* * *

For the couple, the exchanging of rings went by faster than any other part of the ceremony. By the time Tony pronounces them husband and wife, they've already kissed and Peter has swooped Gamora in his arms and carried her into the HQ where the party continues. Now, close to midnight, the newly-wedded couple are slow dancing underneath the fairy lights Tony had set up outside, after the ceremony. Peter thumbs Gamora's newest ring and plants a kiss to it. "So, what do you think?"

Gamora lifts her head off his chest and gazes into his eyes. "Of what? Being married?"

"To  _the_  Star-Lord. Everything you imagined, and more, huh?"

"I don't know. Seems like I might want to file a divorce, now."

"What if I called you, my Star-Lady?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Gamora pulls herself closer to him. "What if you just call me, Mrs. Quill?"

"You know what, I like that name a million times better. Say it again."

"Mrs.  _Gamora_  Quill." She whispers onto his lips with a large smirk.

"No one makes it work, better than you, babe." At the chime of midnight, Peter pulls his newly-wedded wife into a deep kiss, setting off their first official day as a married couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one's a little late! I've gotten extremely ill with borderline pneumonia and wasn't able to write much while overcoming it. But it's here now and that's what matters! Anyways!! I hope you enjoyed it! Title is from "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and it's also the song they're slow dancing to at the end! :)


	7. So Grateful She Gave Me You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's the only one who can make his pain fade away. (Starmora Week 2018 - Day 7: Free)

Everything  _aches_. It's a close call for the guys. As usual, the mission goes south and they almost don't come out alive. Yet, here they are--covered in ash and soot, cuts and bruises, but  _alive_.

As Peter limps up the ramp of the Benatar, he notices his baby girl on the floor, sitting against her mother and playing with a stack of blocks with Mantis.  _God_ , how she's grown in almost a year. Time flies by when you're constantly busy with missions and family.

The eleven month old is clad in a light denim, ruffled dress that's slightly too big for her. The red and black polka-dot straps that cover most of her shoulder, are loosely falling off as she teethes on one of the plastic blocks. Her ebony hair, now developing a soft, red ombre towards the ends, is in ringlets that barely fall past her ears. The brown of her doe eyes become more apparent as she realizes the man coming up the ramp is her father.

"DADA!" Jovi squeals as she drops the purple block, arms and legs flailing in every direction.

It isn't until she hears her child's excited cry, that Gamora removes her lips from the toddler's forehead and realizes the men have returned. She stands up with Jovi, maneuvering her to her hip as she approaches Peter.

Despite the excruciating pain flaring throughout his body, Peter can't help but smile at his baby girl's gummy smile, showing off the few teeth that have grown in. "Hey, Peanut." He coos, giving the small child a quick peck on her temple. "Hey, Momma." This time, it's Gamora he pecks quickly on her lips.

"What happened?" Gamora questions in concern, noticing the few burns and cuts he gathered on his face. She takes a hand off of Jovi, balancing her with one arm, as she brushes a few wet, stray hairs out of the man's face.

Peter shrugs, giving his wife a lopsided smile. "Same old, same old."

"Same old, same old?" Rocket repeats as he makes his way up the ramp, with a snort. "More like your husband almost got himself killed again." As he passes Gamora, he pats her leg and makes his way to his bunk. Drax and Groot follow in the same direction, Drax nodding in agreement.

A nervous chuckle escapes Peter's mouth as he rubs a hand behind his neck, flinching and regretting the move. Gamora lets out an exasperated sigh as she shakes her head. "Peter-"

"I know, I know. You told me to be more careful."

Another exasperated sigh exits Gamora as she gently lowers Jovi to the ground beside Mantis. "Let's just get you cleaned up."

Jovi looks up at Peter in confusion. "Dada?" With every bit of strength in her body, the toddler pulls herself to her feet using Mantis' leg as support. "Dadaaaa..." One of her arms unravel from the bug lady to reach out to her father.

"Peter! Gamora!" Mantis calls out, trying to get the parents' attention.

The couple turns around to see Jovi holding onto Mantis' finger as she stumbles her way to her father. One foot in front of the other, slowly, but surely, she takes uncertain steps, focusing more so on her injured father, than what she's doing.

"Rocket! Drax! Groot! Get in here!" Gamora shouts to the back of the ship as the three guys stumble in behind her.

"Dada!" Jovi squeals again, reaching out both of her arms towards her father with her signature gummy grin.

Peter kneels to the ground, ignoring the throbbing pain from his legs, and holds out his arms to her. "Come on, Baby Girl, you can do it."

"Dada!" The toddler picks up speed, stumbling to the side. Mantis instinctively dives behind her, prepared to catch her if she were to fall. However, the child regains her balance and continues to walk towards her father with a face full of determination.

"Come on, Star-Princess!" Just a few more steps. She makes it, collapsing into her father's arms. "GOOD JOB, JOVI!" Peter exclaims, springing up from his knees and holding her towards the sky. The pain he feels is worth it. He's too happy to let the pain prevent him from showing how proud he is of his baby girl. He hands her to Gamora with a large beam across his face as she devours the child in kisses. The man never knew how much a child would brighten his day and make his pain fade away.


End file.
